President Donald Trump directed his government to “pause” military assistance to Ukraine after a controversial Oval office meeting with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on February 28, two White House officials told ABC News.
A White House official said Trump was clear that he focused on peace and added, “We need our partners to commit to that purpose. We stop and review our help to ensure that it contributes to solutions.”
President Donald Trump spoke in the White House Roosevel in Washington, March 3, 2025.
Leah Millis/Reuters
The move came a few hours after Trump told ABC News that Zelenskyy needed to “appreciate more.”
Rachel Scott’s senior political correspondent asked Trump on Tuesday: “What do you need to see from President Zelenskyy to restart this negotiation?”
“Well, I just think he must appreciate more because this country has been trapped with them through thick and thin,” answered the President.
It is difficult to know exactly how pauses can have an impact on the flow of aid given previously.
In recent months the government of former President Joe Biden, they announced four packages of the President’s withdrawal authority to Ukraine.
The packages reached $ 3 billion weapons from the Pentagon inventory, and they were intended to be given to Ukraine as quickly as possible after the announcement in December and January.
About 90% of weapons committed to Ukraine with previous PDA packages have been sent to the country, according to two US officials who are familiar with this problem.
That includes most of the critical ammunition and anti-armor system, they said, adding that most of what is left to pass the pipe is an armored vehicle that takes longer to be updated, with all PDA equipment that was previously on the path for shipping in August 2025.
However, stable weapons flow is still regulated to move from the US to Ukraine for at least a few years in the next few years because the contract signed by Kyiv with private American companies for newly produced weapons. Many if not most contracts have been paid.
The Trump government can still try to interfere with the delivery through the use of emergency authority, but there are no indications that are trying to do it at this time.
In addition, there are still opportunities for negotiations to continue between the US and Ukraine, as implied by Vice President JD Vance during the appearance at Fox News “” Hannity “on Monday.
Vance was asked whether the government would welcome Zelenskyy again whether he was willing to return to the negotiating table. Vance said yes – if Zelenskyy is willing to “seriously involved.”
“I think if he calls and has a serious proposal about how he will be involved in the process – see, there are truly important details, that we have worked with Russia,” Vance said.
“He needs to be seriously involved in the details,” he added, although it was unclear whether he was strictly referring to the raw mineral agreement carried out by the US with Ukraine, a land concession or other details that might affect negotiations.
“I think that happened, so of course, we want to talk,” said the Vice President.
Also in disputes is the amount of assistance given by the US to Ukraine. Trump has repeatedly claimed, inaccurately, that the United States has spent around $ 350 billion for Ukraine, while other sources placed the figure below $ 200 billion, including bilateral assistance.
ABC News’ Shannon Kingston, Luis Martinez and T. Michelle Murphy contributed to this report.